


Puzzle of Dreams

by ofamaranthlie



Series: Sabriel Week 2013 [1]
Category: Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-17 23:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/873118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofamaranthlie/pseuds/ofamaranthlie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bound to fight against each other with magic as their weapon and tents in a circus as their battleground, Gabriel and Sam were never supposed to use their weapons to woo each other.  </p><p>In which Sam and Gabriel toe the line between competitor and lover in a war to the death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puzzle of Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU of the book “The Night Circus" written by Erin Morgenstern. For those unfamiliar with the book, I recommend that you read the plot on wikipedia. (But omg the book is beyond amazing, so I highly recommend you read it for yourself someday! :D) If you’re lazy and just want the barest gist of it, it involves two magicians who are fated to compete against each other in a circus: Cecilia, who uses her natural talent to create illusions, and Marco, who studied ancient texts and glyphs to learn and use magic and illusions. It’s a battle of natural talent vs. academic learning, and they fall in love, etc etc. 
> 
> In this version, Gabriel is Cecilia, and Sam is Marco.

No matter how many years he spent in the circus, the smell of the caramel apples and popcorn never failed to draw him from his tent like a starving man to a feast. A few of the patrons would send glances his way as he weaved through the tents and the crowds, eager for a snack before his next show. Even without his trademark iridescent coat, the color of a raven’s wing in sunlight, the more frequent visitors recognized Gabriel without any trouble; something about his short stature and charismatic energy, he’s sure. None of them dared to address the Illusionist, however, but he could hear his name murmured on their lips. Gabriel just smiled to himself and plucked a caramel apple from the stand, laughing when the vendor just shook his head at him with a fond smile.

While he never learned the recipe used to make the caramel, Gabriel was convinced that it was the work of some god because nothing on this earth could ever taste so sweet. He ate slowly, savoring the taste as he continued to skirt around the circus, allowing his guard to drop as he lost himself in the dreamy whimsicalities that waited around every corner. Two pairs of red caught his eye, and he spared a wave to Charlie and Anna, the young, redheaded twins who performed with animals. They winked at him in unison, and Gabriel laughed in delight. He had grown quite fond of them, the twins born in the circus on opening night, each with certain powers of their own. Gabriel did not have relationships outside of the circus life, so he appreciated the camaraderie he developed with his fellow performers.

With some time to spare before his next performance, he thought he might check out some of the tents again, perhaps visit some of his favorites. Although the circus held a deeper meaning to him, one that the rêveurs could not even begin to fathom, Gabriel was not so detached from the events that he could not appreciate them. In fact, perhaps it was the opposite. He knew the true significance of some of the tents. They did not just exist to entertain and inspire wonder in the guests; they were the work of his competitor in this nameless game, each tent a play on an imaginary chessboard. They were bound to compete with each other at a young age, and the circus provided the stage.

But over time, he and his competitor strayed away from the true intentions of the game. Lately, the tents became a meant to impress, to show off, and to amuse Gabriel, and he was keen on returning the favor with his own works of art and magic. And oh, how Gabriel longed to believe that there was nothing at stake here, that this was just a chance to show off and to court someone with similar talents. But even he could not delude himself that much. He knew that more was at stake than his heart; he just wished he could figure out what it was and why they were playing for it in the first place.

As if the circus could read his mind (and honestly, stranger things have happened here than that), he rounded a corner and caught sight of a tent that he did not notice before. Curious, he tossed his thoroughly eaten apple into a nearby trash can before approaching the tent, his gaze falling to a little sign plastered on its side. “Heaven’s Eyes: Your Own Personal Paradise.” The tent had to be new. Over the years, the circus had practically become a part of Gabriel: he controlled the train that moved the circus, he was always immersed in its events and culture, and he always kept tabs on its tents. A new tent could only mean one thing.

Grabbing one black and white tent flap, a familiar chill ran down his spine, not at all unpleasant. With a deep breath, he opened the flap and slid inside.

Gabriel did not know what to expect. And that was the ingenuity of his opponent’s tents: they could be anything at all, whatever happened to strike the young man’s fancy at the time. Darkness shrouded the tent at first, the walls covered in stars and wisps of feathery, grey clouds that swirled around and around, as if processing something. Gabriel treaded deeper into the tent, scarcely breathing as he watched the darkness begin to take shape. The stars and clouds remained, but the walls of the tent seemed to disappear. Instead of the familiar black and white background, the tent gave way to a nighttime scene: dark, tall grass swayed in a breeze that prickled the back of Gabriel’s neck. In the distance, the grass gave way to reveal a deep lake, black as night. That was, until a moon appeared in the sky, seemingly out of nowhere, shining a brilliant light across the scene.

And it just wasn’t about the visual aspects, either. The illusion touched on all of the senses: the feeling and sound of the sticky, humid wind, the soft touch of the wind, the faint scent of barbecue in the distance all swirled around him.

Gabriel knew this lake. He had been here before, at this exact moment in time.

“What do you think?

Gabriel turned, and there was Sam. Sam, his opponent, who he was fighting against in a war that neither of them understood the rules to or knew when victory was achieved. Sam, who had managed to charm his way right into Gabriel’s heart, despite their wretched fate. Sam, the bane of Gabriel’s existence and one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Sam approached out of the shadows, coming to stand next to Gabriel with a slight smile forming at the look of surprise on Gabriel’s face. But there was something beneath the smile. A need for approval, perhaps.

“You made this.” Not a question, because Gabriel knew the answer to it already. There was no one else, barring himself of course, with the kind of talent and imagination that could create something so spectacular.

“I did,” Sam agreed, hands stuffing into his pockets as he turned to the lake. Gabriel’s gaze did not waver from Sam, finding himself unable to look away. Sam rarely attended the circus. Unlike Gabriel, Sam did not have a part in the circus itself other than keeping things orderly behind the scenes, which did not require his attendance. He stayed in London, and the circus only visited London every so often. The circus currently resided in Vienna, and Gabriel had not expected Sam to travel to Austria for the show. It had been a year since he had last lain eyes on Sam, but he looked healthy, so the year seemed to be good to him.

“I made it for you,” Sam said, turning back to Gabriel, those earnest eyes boring into Gabriel’s with enough sincerity that Gabriel’s chest began to hurt.

It wasn’t the first time that Sam dedicated a tent to Gabriel, nor would it be the last. Gabriel would have to think of something marvelous in return.

He wondered when this competition became more about wooing each other with their talents rather than fighting. The lines blurred too easily.

“What is it, exactly? Does everyone see this?”

“No. The tent transforms according to the person’s memory or desires. It shows you a moment in time that holds significant value to you. It’s a place where you can relive the best moment of your life, or, for some, what they think would be the best in their life.”

The implications of that explanation stunned Gabriel into a rare silence. This place… This was the first time that Gabriel and Sam had been able to spend some time alone, away from the circus and the pressure to compete and appease their respective teachers. It was the place where they first acknowledged their growing feelings for each other and shared a kiss under the moonlight. The memory remained rich in Gabriel’s mind, and now that he was confronted with it again, a surge of warmth and affection curled through his body.

Of course, that also begged the question of whether or not Sam was real or just part of the illusion. Gabriel searched Sam’s face, looking for any sign that perhaps he wasn’t all here. Sam flushed underneath the scrutiny, but allowed Gabriel to analyze him nonetheless.

“You’re real, right? You’re not just a projection of my brain?” Gabriel asked. Sam was skilled with illusion, could make things out of thin air with such ease to the point to where Gabriel did not trust his instinct. Sam laughed and reached out, brushing his fingers across Gabriel’s cheek in a light caress.

“I’m real.”

Real. The thought was comforting. Gabriel wanted to lean into the touch, to lose himself in Sam and to ask him to stay, but he knew that wasn’t in the script of this sordid play. 

“What do you see when you come here by yourself?”

Sam smiled, a sad and hollow expression. “I see you.”

Gabriel licked his lips, daring a step closer. “Yeah? And what am I doing?”

With a quiet laugh, Sam shook his head. They were close enough that Gabriel could feel the soft puff of Sam’s breath on his face, but their lips did not meet, simply breathed each other in. Gabriel had never been able to push Sam to reveal a secret that he desired to be kept, so he did not push for an answer, not this time. Instead, he offered a hand, his eyes never leaving Sam’s. Sam held the gaze, and by the lords above, Sam’s eyes were even more heavenly than the caramel apples, which said a lot, coming from Gabriel.

Sam took Gabriel’s hand, and an electric current passed between their flesh. Together, they strolled through the land of Gabriel’s past, allowing themselves to forget the real world, if only for a little while.

~~

All good things came to an end eventually. Gabriel had to prepare for his next performance, and he leaned into Sam, standing on his tiptoes to press the lightest of kisses to his neck. “Will you be there?”

Sam rested his chin on Gabriel’s head, eyes closing as he savored the feel of the shorter man, so close to his own body for the last time in the seeable future. “Of course. I wouldn’t travel all the way to Vienna without seeing you perform.”

Gabriel wanted to smile at that, but the pain of reality made it impossible to do so. He managed a brief nod and a wave over his shoulder as he turned around, unable to face Sam. “Until then, Mr. Winchester.”

Gabriel disappeared into the shadows, the images of the lake fading back into the swirl of the night sky as the tent honed in on Sam’s mind instead. Sam stood in silence, exhaling a long, slow breath as the shadows began to take form. Instead of the lake, Sam could see his old apartment back in London, disheveled with books of runes and magic theory as always. But beside him was Gabriel, making some snide commentary about the dreary weather. Sam saw his future self laugh and pull Gabriel into a kiss, their bodies winding together against the glow of the lit fireplace. 

They were happy in this world, free from the weight of the circus upon their minds. Instead of arguing over the impossibility and tragedy of their affections, they bickered over silly little things that normal couples did, like what kind of milk to buy and where they should order take out. They worked normal hours and came home to each other. They lived, really _lived_.

Sam saw the future that he and Gabriel would never be able to have.

Turning away, Sam left to the sound of his future self whispering sweet words to the future Gabriel before the words trailed off, smothered by shadow once more.


End file.
